The Yellow Hourglass
by Piercerofshadows
Summary: After the Fairy Tail Guild's triumphant return to the top, another guild takes notice of one of their members.
1. Chapter 1

The Yellow Hourglass Chapter 1

It is a world filled to the brim with magic. Fueled by mystical Ethernano particles in the air, the people of Earth Land are, through a great deal of practice, able to preform a variety of feats, from mundane acts such as lighting up a darkened room to seemingly impossible ones like a creating and firing a cannon capable of destroying an entire nation.

Although magic has largely become an everyday aspect of life for most, many see it as much, much more. Choosing to reject the reality of having a typical 9 to 5 job like a shopkeeper, government employee, etc., these individuals devote their time to honing their magical craft, learning all that they can about it, and they use their knowledge and abilities to complete odd jobs in a mercenary-like fashion. Eventually, these people came together to magical guilds, and that too became an everyday part of life in Earth Land.

In one country of this magical world, there is an especially high number of these guilds. It is the nation of Fiore, a large nation located on the Ishgar Continent. And in this country, there is a certain guild in a certain town that makes great strides in magic previously unheard of, although it does have a tendency to cause trouble for the bureaucratic side of the magical world.

This guild, known as Fairy Tail, had just recently regained their status as the number 1 guild in Fiore after 7 years out of the spotlight. However, with such renown often comes unwanted attention. How will the Fairies handle the trials that are to come?

The Magic Council (location unknown)

4 days. He had only been away for 4 days. That was the only thing Lahar could think about as he stared at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. He had enjoyed himself at the Grand Magic games so much (before the attack, of course) that it was almost a shame to be back at the old grind. After witnessing Fairy Tail's stunning return to fame, thins like paperwork felt so droll.

"That much shouldn't be too difficult for such a hardworking employee like you, Lahar," a frogman commented, letting himself into the office. Such creatures filled a large portion of the onsite positions of the Magic Council, the ruling body for magic on the Ishgar Continent. "After all, if was your work ethic and dedication to justice that helped you climb the ladder to become head of the 4th Custody Enforcement Division."

Straightening his glasses, Lahar regarded the intruder. He wore the long blue jacket of a high ranking magic council member complete with white gloves, pants, and cape, and his hair was tied back with 2 bangs framed his face. "Enough about me, why have you barged into my office?"

"My apologies, sir" the frogman returned bowing deeply. "I brought the documents you requested about Raven Tail." Raven Tail, the dark guild that had gone to great lengthes to enter the Grand Magic games only to antagonize the Fairy Tail guild. Lahar simply could not understand why they would go to such effort, but it must be something to do with Makarov Dreyar, guildmaster of Fairy Tail, being the father of the other guild's master, Ivan Dreyar.

Taking the documentation from the amphibious employee, Lahar perused the detailed reports on the guild's history. "What disciplinary action has been taken against the guild?"

"The Raven Tail Guild's status as a legal guild has been revoked temporarily pending the results of an investigation, " the frogman replied blankly, "Depending on what comes back, the guild may be dissolved with the guild master and major members facing potential fines and imprisonment."

"I see," Lahar responded contemplatively, setting the reports somewhere in the stack on his desk. "Speaking of which, has Fairy Tail caused any trouble since their victory?"

"Not yet, " it answered, "but the general consensus is that it's only a matter of time."

"Agreed."

The Fairy Tail Guild Hall

The Fairy Tail Guild Hall, the pride of Magnolia. It's interior is quite simplistic, consisting of a large number of dining tables, a fully stocked bar, and an upstairs area, but it is also where many legends were born. Even after it's reconstruction, following the invasion by Phantomhive (a story for another day), the rich history, has been preserved.

"You wanna say that again, fireball? I didn't quite catch it the first time." Gray Fullbuster, the man issuing the challenge, stood shirtless in the middle of the guild hall. His partial nakedness exposed a wall of lean muscle covering his whole body, as well as a guild mark on his right pectoral. The clothing he was wearing was a pair of black slacks with a chain on the left side and a pair of combat boots. Additionally, a necklace with a silver cross on it was around his neck. His face, young and unmarred except by a scar above his left eye was still handsome even as he glared at the mage opposite him.

"Well then, let me clean out yer ears for ya, snowflake," Gray's rival challenged boldly. "I said ya couldn't beat me, even if ya trained for a million years."

The brash young wizard was Natsu Dragneel, another member of the Fairy Tail guild. He was adorned in a black zipped overcoat with orange trim. With the right sleeve missing, the red guild mark below his shoulder was on full display. He wore white trunks and black sandals, which matched the scale patterned scarf he wore around his neck, which was a gift from his father, the fire dragon Igneel. A light shade of pink, his hair was as wild as he was. At present, Natsu was giving his compatriot the evil eye, a fiery aura coming off of him all the while.

"Well, Natsu, why don't we put your theory to the test," Grey said as he placed his right fist into his left hand. As he did so, a light blue magic circle enveloped his hands.

"Guys, stop fighting!" Coming from across the Guild Hall, a buxom blonde 'bounced' toward the pair. Her medium length hair was kept in pigtails as she wore a revealing, nearly backless blue outfit with yellow highlights. "You guys are always going at it."

"Oh, chill out Lucy." Raising her head from the book she was reading, Levy McGarder glanced around. He wavy blue hair bounced around, barely held back by her yellow hairband. She wore a matching yellow dress adorned white ribbons and brown sandals. Her guild mark was visible on her back, around her left shoulder blade. "You know as well as I do that they don't mean anything by it."

"I'm gonna break you friggin' arm, Natsu." Sighing, Levy waved her arm in the air, a magic circle appearing above her head. The word IRON appeared in the air above Gray's head. It had a metallic glint, suggesting it was actually made of iron, and in support of this theory, it made a loud thunk as it landed on Gray's head. With him not expecting the sneaky attack, it was very effective.

"What's the matter Gray?" Natsu asked with a chuckle. "Get yer ass kicked by a girl?"

As if in response, a small fist came down and bashed him in the top of his head. "As some of the top wizards of Fairy Tail, you two should be setting a good example for the others. Natsu;s eyes rolled into the back of his head as consciousness left him.

The fist belonged to Erza Scarlett, S-class mage and the strongest female wizard in Fairy Tail. She wire a sleeveless white collared shirt with frills in then center and a blue ribbon was tied around her neck. A navy skirt the same color as the guild mark on her left bicep completed the ensemble, in utter contrast to long, bright red hair.

"It was probably a good thing that you intervened instead of me, Erza." Makarov Dreyar, Guild Master of Fairy Tail observed from the railing of the second floor while toying with his thick white mustache. He wore a crimson undershirt with a pale cloak over it. Given his miniscule size, he didn't seem like much, but he was extremely capable, even being name a member of the 10 most powerful wizards on the continent, the Ten Wizard Saints. "I'm afraid I would have put them out of commission for a few weeks."

A wave of laughter ran through the Guild Hall at the master's comment, and the merriment redoubled. As the sounds of the belligerent guild leaked out into Magnolia, a stranger in a black hooded cloak approached. On the back of his cloak was a bright yellow emblem – an hourglass.

Authors Note: A new story. Feels good to continue writing again. I just graduated, so if/when I am able to get a decent job, I have no way of knowing how that will impact my time, but up until then, I will make an effort to allocate some time to writing. 

How was the first chapter of the new story? I attempted to recreate that feel that I got from the first scene in the guild hall in episode 2, but I have little confidence in my ability to pull off my "creative vision". I would love to hear your thought's, please leave a review or pm me. Until next time.  
-Piercer_of_Shadows


	2. Chapter 2

The Yellow Hourglass Chapter 2

The cloaked figure drifted through the crowded streets of Magnolia, so quick that it drew many eyes. Some gasped upon seeing the yellow symbol on the back of the cloak, but their comments were held at bay by the barely restrained power emanating from the bulky figure that even a layman could feel.

As the wizard approached the towns resident guild hall, its head glanced up at the sign above the entrance. Fairy Tail, the recent winners of the Grand Magic Games, and currently considered the top guild in Fiore. The thought brought one word to the mind of the mage: _powerful_.

* * *

"Jenga!" Levy exclaimed as the block tower fell. Amid the explosion of wooden pieces, she began dancing and cheering.

Meanwhile, opposite her, Gajeel Redfox was lamenting his loss. The iron dragon slayer wore a black vest with light gray lining and a large black wing inexplicably fastened to his right shoulder. 5 metal studs could be seen embedded in each forearm, with his right also being heavily scarred. On his right bicep, he bore the Fairy Tail guild mark, inches below the old location of his Phantom Lord guild mark. Tan pants a few shades lighter than his skin and black combat boots with metal protrusions completed the ensemble.

His black hair was long and spikey, going halfway down his back. His red, predatorial eyes had slit pupils which were hurriedly scanning the aftermath of their game. He had more of the studs in his face, 2 through the bridge of his nose, 2 more above each eyebrow, another in his chin, and then finally 5 in each ear.

"Dammit! That's 3 games in a row!" Gajeel raged.  
"Well, we can go back to checkers if you want, or maybe Connect-Four." Levy responded teasingly.  
"Oh no you don't. The whole reason we started this is because I couldn't beat cha in any of those."

"Give it up, Gajeel." Natsu, who had heard the yelling from across the guild hall, shouted. "You're never gonna beat her, she's just too smart for you."

"Shut yer trap, Salamander, or I'll do it for ya.

"Like you could. Get ready ta- "The doors to the guild swinging open cut off Natsu's reply, as a gust of cold air swept over the guild. All eyes were on the cloaked figure in the doorway.

The full-body cloak was black with a gold trim lining the edges of the hood. As if by some magical force, the face which should have been completely visible in the well-lit guild hall was completely obscured by darkness, and the hands were hidden inside the long black sleeves. Although all of the persons features were covered, the body beneath was noticeably wide and bulky for its height.

Unintimidated, master Makarov stepped towards the stranger. "Good afternoon, " he greeted, hiding his suspicion behind a polite smile. "I am Makarov Dreyar, the guild master of Fairy Tail."

The guild master pulled back his hood, revealing 4 rows of blue soft spikes atop his head. His face was quite pale, and slightly emaciated, as if he didn't eat or go outside often. However, there was a powerful determination behind his brown eyes. "It is a pleasure to meet the master of the esteemed Fairy Tail guild. ", the stranger replied, bowing lightly.

"The pleasure is all mine.", Makarov returned, relaxing a bit now that he had seen the young man's face. "We were not expecting any visitors, are you perhaps here to make a request in person?"

"Hmmm, you could say that, I suppose.", the stranger said thoughtfully. "I am Malkeus Stratus, of the Yellow Hourglass guild."

Upon hearing the guild name, Makarov started a bit. "I see. I have heard of your guild, but I must confess that I know very little about it. But we are always happy to help our fellow guilds. How can I be of assistance, young man?"

"After your performance at the last Grand Magic Games, our master has taken great interest in your guild, particularly in the mages Erza Scarlett, for her single-handed conquest of Pandemonium, Natsu Dragneel for his feat of fending off Sabertooth's Twin Dragons, and Gajeel Redfox, due to his impressive display against Rogue."

Natsu, annoyed with being talked about, interrupted. "Get to the point will ya!"

"Very well.", the blue haired mage continued, his expression hardening. "We, the mages of the Yellow Hourglass guild, hereby issue a challenge to you, the mages of Fairy Tail."

A collective gasp spread throughout the building. Makarov, however, remained composed. "A challenge you say. What do you mean by that?"

At this, Malkeus smiled. "A simple tournament, consisting of 5 matches, with the first to 3 victories being the winner. I'm afraid, due to our roster being quite short, that is the most we can manage."

At this point, Gajeel cut in. "That's all well and good, but you are just some random guy coming into our home and challenging us. Why should we even bother with you punks?"

"A fair question.", Malkeus relented. "In reality, you don't actually have to do anything. And we would not dare to try to force you into participating, nor will we retaliate in any way if you refuse. Such action is tasteless for legal guilds, and we have far too much pride to sink to such a low."

"However," he continued, "should you agree to participate and emerge victorious, you will be rewarded. We will allow you to meet with our master, the one known as The Void Walker."

At this revelation, the guild master broke into a cold sweat. "The Void Walker?! That isn't possible, he's just a myth!"

Malkeus turned away and began walking out of the building. "If you want to find out, come to Alba Tross Village in 6 days time, and win. My 4 comrades and I will be waiting." And just as quickly as he had arrived, he was gone.

* * *

Moments after the visitor had left, the guild was still reeling. Not from the revelation that the guild master of the Yellow Hourglass was this mythical Void Walker, for none of the guild members had ever heard that name before. Rather, what had had the most impact was the reaction of their unshakable guild master.

"Master," Erza began, "I think an explanation is necessary. I have never heard of this guild, and I certainly haven't heard of anyone called The Void Walker."

"Ah, I suppose you wouldn't have." Makarov replied, furrowing his brow. "Neither topics are exactly common amongst wizards, so it's no surprise."

"The Yellow Hourglass is a legal guild, located outside of the village of Alba Tross. At first glance, the guild would appear to be normal. It is a place for like-minded wizards to gather, hone their craft, and make money doing quests."

"However, there are several things about that guild which are unusual. They do not simply allow people to join as we would. In fact, it is entirely unknown what criteria are used to determine one's membership eligibility. As a result, they only have 5 members, other than their guild master. And that guild master is quite the mystery himself. Save with the bare minimum members of the Magic Council with whom he must meet with on occasion, he has no contact with anyone in the magic world, not even with us other guild masters. Because of this, no one knows anything about him."

"Which brings us to The Void Walker." At the mention of the name, that same cold sweat appeared briefly on his brow. "The legend was born 46 years ago. I had been a member of the Ten Wizard Saints for about 4 years, when one day, one of my peers, the then number 7 saint, returned to the Fiore Branch of the Magic Council after a long journey. He claimed to have been traveling the mountain range of the country of Minstrel when he came across a ruin. There, he encountered a lone man, who attacked him without a word. Under the onslaught of the stranger, the saint was defeated, and nearly killed."

"So this guy beat one of the Wizard Saints? That's impressive, but not exactly unheard of, so what's the big deal?"

"I was getting to that!" the master impatiently replied. "As I was saying, he allegedly defeated one of the Saints. If that were all there was to it, it wouldn't be worth considering a legend. But according to the report, the stranger not only defeated this Saint, but also did so without the use of any magic, and the Saint had been unable to land even a single blow upon him. That is the man that was dubbed The Void Walker, and who is supposedly challenging us now."

"That's not possible!" Erza exclaimed. "There is no way that a wizard could become that powerful."

"Yes, that level of physical might is hard to believe, but the information came from a good friend and colleague of mine, so I took it as fact, as did the Magic Council. As the years began to pass, however, there was never any new information or sightings of him, so it has been many years since anyone has spoken of him."

"I don't care how powerful this guy is." Natsu, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, declared. "We should go kick their asses and show them just what Fairies can do!"

The guild master sighed. "Natsu, that is too reckless. If what that young man said is right, this person could probably kill you before your first strike."

"Master, I think Natsu is right," Gray chimed in. "These guys don't really seem all that bad, and from the looks of it, we aren't even fighting this guild master of theirs. Besides, even if we were, hasn't it been almost 50 years now? He would probably be older that you at this point, and that's before you even factor in the 7 years that we missed."

"Gray, if you are implying that age denotes weakness, I think I may have to set you straight," the master growled. "But other than that, you do raise a good point."

"That's the spirit gramps!" Natsu cheered.

"I didn't say I agreed."

"But gramps…"

"However, "the master continued, sighing deeply, "even if were to forbid you from going, I know that at least a few of you would probably go anyways." Makarov flashed a bright smile. "So, I may as well give my blessing. We can go."

* * *

Malkeus walked through a vibrant field, populated with flowers of all shapes and colors, towards a far eastern style building atop a hill. It had white walls, with red wood bars running perpendicular to each other. There were layers of curved green tiled rooves stacked on top of one another. The door on the front was made of the same red wood, with a similar lattice style on the top half and very thin paper in place of windows. Multiple other entrance to the dwelling were located along the outside, but the were simple sliding doors with barriers to prevent people from entering without consent. It was his guild hall, and where he lived.

Before reaching the main entrance, the mage stopped and looked towards the clouds, deep in thought. "Those Fairy Tail wizards… they are quite powerful. But even so, "he began, his aura beginning to ruffle his cloak. "I must defeat them. I will prove the superiority of my guild, and my master. No, my father."

* * *

Authors Note: Hey everyone, I hope you're all enjoying the new story. I've seen all the favorites/follows/reviews, and it has me quite excited. Hopefully it'll grow into a sizable following so that many more people will be able to enjoy it.

This one is gonna be a lot less dark than some of the other stuff I have posted, and it's kind of refreshing to write. One problem I anticipated when I was planning this one was the overabundance of characters. My way of dealing with this, and it's something you may have noticed, was to completely ignore the characters that were going to have no bearing on the story. So, if you're favorite character(s) haven't been mentioned yet, then I must apologize, but they are most likely not going to be in this story. It's nothing personal, I just don't think I can keep track of them all. My condolences to the fans of the Thunder Legion.  
As always, please leave a review, and if you want to know when the next chapter comes out (because even I don't know), make sure you follow and/or favorite. Until next time.

-Piercer_of_Shadows


	3. Chapter 3

The Yellow Hourglass Chapter 3

The carriage, carrying Natsu, Gray, Erza, Gajeel, Levy, and Master Makarov drove down the dirt path. With rolling hills on one side and a forest a stone's throw away on the other, there was much to be seen.

However, the two dragon slayers weren't paying very much attention to it, thanks to their shared ailment: motion sickness. "Blegh. Why couldn't we just walk?" Natsu blurted out, along with some of his lunch.

"Because," Makarov scolded, "Alba Tross Village is 10 days away on foot. If it was such a problem, you shouldn't have come in the first place."

"There's no way I'd miss th-ugh, I think I'm dying."

"Quiet down, Salamand-ugghh," Gajeel began, but was interrupted.

"Here, Gajeel," Levy said, handing him a bottle of brownish-green. "I read in a book that this mixture of herbs is supposed to help with nausea, so I brought some along."

The iron dragon slayer grabbed the bottle, looking at it dubiously, but feeling another wave of vomiting approaching, he quickly downed the bottle. When he finished swallowing, he was eerily still for a moment.

Suddenly, his eyes went wide with surprise. "I can't believe it. I feel so much better. I can't thank ya enough."

"It was the least I could do," she sheepishly replied, blushing.

"Hear that, Salamander? I'm cured, so I get to enjoy the ri-"

Suddenly, nausea unlike anything he had ever felt slammed into him like a brick wall. In fact, it was so intense his mind could not handle it, and he passed out, which was probably for the best.

"Gajeel!" Levy jumped out of her seat and started shaking him, crying "I'm so sorry" over and over again.

"So Levy," Erza said, interrupting the soap opera unfolding before her, "why is it that you insisted on coming with us? You don't normally come with us on these kinds of trips."

"Well," she began, completely diverting her attention away from the husk of man who had started turning green. "Normally, Lucy joins you on your adventures, but she had to go on a quest to get money to pay her rent. I thought, since her and I are such good friends, I should fill in for her."

"Also, "she added, grasping her hand to her chest, "you guys aren't the only ones who've gotten stronger. Watching you all at the Grand Magic Games, I felt like I needed to improve as well. I want to show you all how hard I've been working."

"I'm looking forward to it," Erza replied with a smile. "Speaking of people not here, I am surprised Laxus didn't join us."

"He said he wasn't interested," Gray answered. "He's always training lately, and probably didn't think this was important enough to stop."

"Yes, it seems my grandson isn't as big on competition as the rest of you, but that should come as no surprise," Makarov explained.

"Blegh." Leaning forward precariously in his seat, Natsu's cheeks had swollen up like a chipmunk as he tried his hardest not to puke. Seeing one of his guild members suffering, the master did the most compassionate thing he could: from his position across from Natsu, he enlarged his tiny hand to gargantuan proportions and popped him right in the head, the impact rocking the carriage. With an idiotic smile on his face, Natsu, as well as Gajeel, slept the rest of the day, safe from their curse in the haven of dreams.

Four days passed in much the same way, and around 10 AM of the 5th day of their trip, they spotted Alba Tross Village. Approximately 3 miles in diameter at its widest point, the town predominantly featured 1 or 2 story brick buildings, with light blue and white being a common color scheme amongst most of them. Birds with large beaks were perched on many street lights, seeming to have flown from the large lake glistening nearby to the west.

After checking into an inn, it was decided that they should go to the Yellow Hourglass guild, even though they were a day early. Walking through the streets of Alba Tross, Erza looked around at the buildings on either side. "Master, you said this was a village, but the area seems far too developed to be called a village."

"You are correct, Erza," the master explained. "Less than 2 decades ago, this was just a small cluster of dwellings with a population of 500. However, the Yellow Hourglass guild has been quite charitable towards it's host city. Even though they only have 5 active mages, they are still extremely profitable, completing more quests than even some larger guilds. However, money doesn't seem to be the motivation for all their hard work, as they donate anywhere between 50% and 75% of their earnings to the city.

"This cash flow has led to the rapid urbanization of this once rural area, and in the past 10 years, it has actually become something of a hub for the construction of magical items. Many artisans flock here from across Fiore and beyond to hone their craft."

"That's right, I think I've read about this place, "Levy added. "Many of my magic items, like my Gale Force Reading Glasses which let me read quickly, were made here."

"Hmm, I wonder why most of us have never heard of this place before…" Erza mumbled.

"Who cares!" Natsu exclaimed. "None of that stuff like continuity and plot holes matter, let's just go knock these guy's door down and say hi."

After leaving through the eastern side of the town, the group of six walked through a meadow towards a traditional Japanese style building atop a hill. However, when got within 50 ft of the building, a translucent barrier shimmer to life before their eyes.

"Oh my," Levy exclaimed after putting on her glasses. "I don't know who made this, but it is nothing like anything I've ever seen. There's no way I can get us through it."

"Let's just break it down then!" Natsu yelled, flames appearing in his hands. "With the six of us, one stinkin' barrier ain't gonna be enough to keep us out."

"That's enough, Natsu." The impulsive dragon slayer turned to look at Makarov, the fire dying out quickly. "We did not come here as warmongers. We will wait until tomorrow and return as scheduled."

As the group headed back towards Alba Tross, they filed to notice a hole appear in the air behind the barrier. From within, a bright green eye watched Fairy Tails departure with great interest. 

The hotel in which they stayed was the Flapped Wing Inn. It celebrated the humble beginnings of the village, featuring rustic wooden walls, simplistic, yet sturdy handmade furniture, and almost no décor. Yet at the same time, it also took advantage of the village's current magical prosperity, with magical items which offered quality of life improvements like lamps which would light or blow out with a word, modules for controlling the indoor temperature, and even things as silly as self-fluffing pillows. The Fairy Tail guild had rented out two of these rooms in order to keep the genders separate, and was currently holding a meeting in the room allotted to the men.

"So master," Gray began. "These mages probably know a lot about us, given that the games were broadcast across the whole country, but what do we know about them?"

"Yes," Erza concurred. "It wouldn't be good if they were the only ones with intel."

The diminutive mage gave a solemn look to all present. "I wish I could tell you all everything there is to know about them so that I could give you the best chance at victory possible ", he explained, "but unfortunately, because The Yellow Hourglass guild is such a solitary group, there is little information available."

A few in the room looked dejected at the news, but Natsu grinned. "Hey, that's okay! We'll go and kick their asses all the same!"

"Salamander's right." Gajeel chimed in. "We've always gone into fights without knowin' anything about the enemy, and now's no different."

"Be that as it may," Makarov continued, "I should still tell you what little we do know, even if it all comes from rumors. First, the guild has a reputation for having people who specialize in more than one field. For instance, one may excel in fire magic, but also have powerful telekinetic abilities, or be extremely proficient in a form of armed or unarmed combat."

"That's something everyone should be able to do, though, isn't it?" Gray asked, confused.

"Gray, I don't mean that they are simply capable of more than one thing. What I mean is, it's possible that these mages have completely mastered more than 1 style of combat or magic. So, when facing them, even if it seems like they only use one kind of magic, be wary of any hidden tricks or abilities."

"The second thing I have heard is in regards to the strongest of the 5. It is only a rumor, but supposedly, he completes most jobs without even leaving the guild hall."

"How is that even possible?" Erza asked.

"Well, maybe he uses a very powerful long-range magic." Levy said, attempting an explanation.

"Whatever it is," Erza chimed in, "all we can do is try our best to overcome it. In the end, all of this is nothing more than a small tournament with little on the line."

"Still," she added, clenching her armored fist. "We will do our guild proud, and we will win!"

After exiting the town, the group crossed the meadow once more, with the opposing guild hall as their destination. However, as they approached, once again, the barrier appeared. "What the hell!" Natsu yelled.

"Look over there!" Levy exclaimed, pointing. Several hundred meters to the left of the guild were 5 silhouettes, including the unnaturally bulky figure of Malkeus. Fairy Tail made their way to the group.

"Fairy Tail wizards, we are pleased that you decided to accept our challenge," Malkeus declared.

"Of course, "Makarov banter. "There is nothing wrong with a harmless tournament with a fellow guild."

The Yellow Hourglass guild members stood side by side, across from the fairies. From left to right, there was Malkeus, a sharp dressed bald man, a young man in a primitive outfit made of furs, a high school girl with a coffin strapped to her back, and a little boy… who looked exactly like Natsu.

"Enough talk, who am I fighting!" Natsu demanded.

"The bracket shall be decided as follows," Malkeus proclaimed. "You will choose one of your fighters to step forward, and we will choose one of ours to challenge them. After that match, one of us will be chosen, and one of you will challenge them. This will continue until one team reaches 3 victories. Each person can only fight once, and should we reach round 5, the remaining contender on each team will be pitted against each other to determine the winner."

"I see," Levy pondered. "It is a fluid bracket, one which requires each team to strategize on the who they choose and in what order. They have the advantage because they know how we fight, but they can only leverage that in the 2 rounds in which we choose first."

"So, Fairy Tail, which of you is first?"

Author's Note: Another chapter so soon? I don't know what came over me. Shouldn't expect the next ones so quickly, as I have to choreograph the fight scenes and there in Fairy Tail, there is so much more to keep track of in comparison to Bleach, but I'll try to have more out in a timely manner. Also, I get the feeling that I didn't explain the bracket system very well, but couldn't figure out a more eloquent way to word it at the time. Please, let me know if it seems confusing so that in the next chapter, I might try and elaborate.

Here's a deleted scene I thought was maybe worth mentioning. After the hotel section in which they were talking about the Yellow Hourglass mages, I briefly considered putting in one of the *ahem* "traditional" Fairy Tail fanservice scenes, or even a funny reverse one with the guys, but I don't think I could do it justice, so I dropped the idea.

I hope the long buildup is psyching y'all up for some good fights and I'll try my best to deliver. Please leave a review, follow/favorite, etc., and I'll see y'all next time.

-Piercer_of_Shadows


	4. Chapter 4

The Yellow Hourglass Chapter 4

* * *

"Alright guys, I got this!" Natsu proclaimed, banging his fists together. "I don't really get the whole bracket thing, but I'll kick this thing off."

"Not so fast, Salamander," Gajeel cut in. "You owe me after that crap in the semi-finals. I'm gonna take the first one."

"What crap, metalhead? I won, didn't I?"

Gajeel's eyes bulged out of their socket slightly. "Do you have ANY idea how sick I got after that cart stopped moving!?", he argued. "Besides, we were supposed to work to together and you threw me under the bus. I'm goin' first, you can have the next round."

"Guy's, should we really be deciding things like this?" Levy warily commented. "If we just rush in without a plan we'll be playing right into their hands."

"But we do have a plan, Levy," Natsu nonchalantly reassured. "We're gonna go out there and kick their teeth in."

"But…"

"It's okay, Levy." Erza gingerly grabbed her shoulder. "Those 2 like to come up with plans in the heat of battle. They weren't going to listen to any strategy we came up with. Well, maybe Gajeel would, but definitely not Natsu."

"Besides," Gray stepped forward, crossing his arms," those 2 lizard brains would probably screw up whatever we thought up, so we should probably just let them do what they want."

"Fine!" Natsu shouted, relenting. "But I'm definitely going next."

"Whatever you say," the iron dragon slayer replied, stepping out from the group.

Malkeus stoked his chin as he watched from afar. "Gajeel Redfox, eh. I was expecting Natsu to go first, impulsive as he is, but it doesn't matter too much."

A hearty voice sounded from behind. "Malkeus, may I?"

"Yes Lupak, go ahead."

A man dressed to the nines elegantly sauntered forward. He wore a black suit, fitted perfectly to his tall imposing. Underneath, he wore a whitecollared shirt, with an eye-catching gold tie. Covering his hands were gloves crafted of the finest material, with his guild's yellow hourglass plastered on the back.

His eyebrows seemed to have been meticulously crafted, and his bald head had obviously been polished with equal care. His gentle blue eyes and small nose contradicted with his strong jawline, which was comically angular, like the bottom half of a stop sign. Enormous muscles bulged in his neck, indicative of what must lay beneath his clothes, and a gnarled, malformed scar poked out of his collar and worked its' way up the right side of his neck.

Addressing the whole of Fairy Tail, the dapper man bowed deeply. "My name is Lupak car Bonn. It's a pleasure."

"Awfully polite, aren't cha. And well-dressed, too. It'll be such a shame when I wreck those expensive clothes of yours."

Upon hearing those words, Lupak's eyes narrowed. "It seems your manners have rusted a bit. It seems I'll have to polish them up a bit."

"Ugh."

Erza looked over at Levy, who was visibly disturbed by what she had heard. "What's wrong Levy?"

"It's the puns. So corny."

"Sorry about that, his sense of humors kinda shot." The annoyed voice came from a member of Yellow Hourglass team, a teenage girl. She wore a blue zip-up hoodie with white highlights and a gray undershirt, as well as a pair off faded jeans. A pair of white shoes with no arch graced her feet. She had blonde hair, but you could barely see it tucked away under a low-hanging hand-knit blue beanie.

But what was most peculiar was what she carried. It was a backpack of some sort, with a strap going over 1 shoulder, but it was shaped like a coffin. It was a dark, woody brown with gold lining the edges, and on the back of the 4-foot long case was the guilds gold insignia.

"Aw, c'mon Locke." A little boy who looked reminiscent of Fairy Tail's Natsu spoke up in defense of the brawny man. "You're just jealous because big bro's cool. Not as cool as Natsu though." Although he looked enough like Natsu for it to be clear who he was mimicking, there were several things that were off. The hair was an obvious wig, for his short black hair could be seen though the clumsily worn hair piece. The pattern on his scarf was striped, not checkerboard, and his vest was several shades off.

The veins in Locke's neck bulged, dangerously close to breaking the skin. "Keep talkin' brat, and I'll sew yer mouth shut!"

"Locke, cut the kid some slack, he's new. And Kory, be careful, if you keep pestering her, she really will sew your mouth shut." The young man who said this lay on his back in the grass, eyes closed as he felt the wind rush against his skin. His spikey black hair was held back by a leather headband, but a few locks still managed to fall over his face. He was wearing a thick vest made of the brown fur of some unknown animal, with boots and trousers of the same material.

"Garick, you're too soft on him. He'll never grow up if you keep babying him." Locke's frown twisted into a sneer as a snore cut through her scolding. "DON'T SLEEP WHILE I'M…!"

"Enough." Malkeus' calm voice brought a swift end to that conversation. "Do not embarrass our guild with your behavior. All of you."

After Malkeus's declaration was made, the decibel level from the Yellow Hourglass spectators lowered substantially. Except, of course, Garick's loud snoring, which broke the tension like a sledge hammer. "Do you want me to wake him up?" Kory quietly asked.

"No, Kory," he answered with a sigh. "He would fall right back asleep anyways. Let's just begin the first match."

"Agreed," Master Makarov said from across the field.

"I think I'll take the first move. Gajeel leapt towards Lupak. "Iron Dragons Club!" His right arm started to change, lengthening and turning a dark grey. Finally, his fingers fused together, and his arm now had become a long iron pole, which he brought down on his foe.

Lupak crossed his massive arms over his head to receive the blow. A loud thud resounded throughout the field as the weapon hit its' mark, and beneath Lupak's feet, a crater formed as he was driven downward in the soil. However, as the weapon retracted and changed back into his arm, it was apparent that the dapper mage was unphased by the blow. He looked at the ground below him, regarding the blemish in the meadow with disdain.

"Don't look away from me!" His right hand gained a silver sheen as he charged in once more and pulled it back to throw a punch. However, before he could, a gloved hand collided with his jaw sending him flying several dozen meters before hitting the ground.

"My apologies," Lupak replied, shaking the dust off his left hand. "You see, I enjoy beautiful things such as this field, and have a hard time focusing when they are ruined."

Gajeel sat up, spitting out a wad of blood. "Man, weird or not, you're even stronger than you look. I'm gonna have ta watch that hook of yers."

Transforming again, his arm became longer and flatter, tapering to a point on the end. The edges were razor sharp, with equally sharp spikes sparsely scattered along it. "Iron Dragon's Sword!" he roared, lunging at Lupak once again.

He made an overhead slash, which Lupak deftly dodged, followed by a horizontal slash, which was also evade.

"Quit dodging pretty boy!" The iron dragon slayer leapt into the air and brought his blade down with all his might.

"Very well." Lupak reached up and caught the blade with his bare hand. His left glove was torn to pieces, revealing a translucent, rock-like substance covering his hand. The light blue coating glistened in the afternoon sunlight.

"What!?" Gajeel backpedaled an watched as Lupak's hand changed back from it's crystalline appearance to a light brown.

"Those gloves are quite expensive, you know," Lupak nonchalantly commented as he took off the scraps of remaining cloth on his hand. "I may have to send you a bill."

From the sidelines, the Fairy Tail wizards looked on in shock. "What was that," Levy asked, "and how did he block Gajeel's attack with one hand?"

"You'll find that none of your attacks will hurt this beautiful body," Lupak plainly stated, crossing his arms.

"Awfully full of yerself, ain'tcha?" Gajeel fired back. Even though he tried to sound confident, a hint of doubt creeped into his voice, caused by the throbbing in his hand.

"Let us begin our match proper now." A glowing blue aura covered his body as his skin slowly grew more rigid and faceted, while losing it's vibrance and taking on a dull blue hue. When his transformation had ended, the aura disappeared and he beckoned to Gajeel. "Come! Your opponent is I, the diamond bodied Lupak car Bonn!"

"Your body's made of diamonds? That's just great."

"You may as well surrender, your iron will never break my skin."

"We'll see about that, beauty queen. Iron Dragon's Lance!" Both of his arms turned into metal poles which rapidly grew right in Lupak's direction. The diamond man crossed his arms in front of him just before the slammed into him, pushing him back.

"Iron Dragon's Sword!" Gajeel shouted as the 2 poles merged into 1 enormous blade. He spun and slammed the weapon into Lupak's side, and the centripetal force sent his opponent flying.

"Now to finish. Iron Dragon's Roar." His arms returned to normal, and he brought them to his mouth as if he was playing a woodwind instrument. He took a breath so deep that his cheeks expanded to inhuman proportions, and then expelled a vortex of violently swirling air with metal shards scattered throughout. Upon impact, an explosion covered Lupak and the surrounding area in a heavy blanket of smoke.

"Wow, Gajeel. Not half bad!" Natsu yelled from the sidelines. "You really showed that guy."

"I'm afraid not." From across the field, Malkeus smugly grinned. "Lupak won't go down from something like that."

As the smoke cleared, a naked , yet unharmed man of diamond appeared. His massive muscles were no longer hidden, but they had an unnaturally jagged appearance, like gemstones, giving him the appearance of a poorly made ice sculpture. "Why, oh why must I always replace my suit. It must be the single greatest drain on my wallet."

"You have more important things to worry about!" Gajeel lunged at him, his skin turning to iron in midair. His fist Lupak squarely in the gut with such force that the remaining smoke was blown away in 1 fell swoop.

"Do I." Lupak questioned, grabbing ahold of Gajeels arm. The dragon slayer tried to pull away, but the man's grip was unbreakable. He then resorted to repeatedly punching his opponent in the face, but to his astonishment, his own hand started to bleed, despite his iron skin.

Lupak's own fist collide with Gajeel's chin, this time from below and much, much harder than the first. He was sent flying high into the air before crashing down meters away. "I had hoped you would be more durable", the naked man said, "but I suppose that was too much to ask."

Gajeel struggled to get up, unable to find the necessary strength in his legs. His jaw seems misshapen, having been dislocated, and blood dripped down his face.

"This man is a very powerful wizard", Makarov observed. "With his hardened body, he renders himself nearly immune to physical damage, while his precise blows pack enough power to knock out most opponents in a single blow. So this is the power of The Yellow Hourglass guild."

"Yes," Erza concurred, "they are quite a formidable opponent."

"Guys, how can you say that?" Levy exclaimed. "Gajeel is really badly hurt, and you're acting like nothing is wrong."

"Because we believe in him." Erza assured. "And he's not out yet."

A loud crack echoed through the field. "AAAARGH, that really hurt." Levy turned to see Gajeel holding his jaw, which was now back in place. The wobbliness in his legs was gone, and he was glaring at Lupak.

"It doesn't matter if his back is against the wall, if the situation seems hopeless, or if it seems like the world is crashing down around him," Makarov explained. "Gajeel is a proud Fairy Tail wizard, and we Fairies fight on, until our bodies can no longer continue."

"Gajeel…" The worry was clearly visible on her face.

"That really hurt, bastard. You're gonna pay for that."

"Then by all means, make me." Lupak crossed his arms, waiting for Gajeel to make the first move. "In fact, feel free to take your best shot. I won't move a muscle."

Gajeel lunged at Lupak again, pulling his arm back. It shimmered, slowly taking on the properties of metal. In addition, metal scales appeared across his entire body, offering protection.

"Try as you might, your metal concoctions can't break diamond."

"Think again, douchebag! Iron Dragon's Pickaxe!" His hand morphed into a short stick, and a curved spike grew out of each side, replicating the mining tool.

Upon seeing the transformation, Lupak's expression changed from one of confidence to one of genuine concern. However, he kept his word as Gajeel brought the point of his weapon to his chest, punching through the hard exterior.

When he withdrew his weapon, blood momentarily poured out, but the hole in his armor closed. However, a slowly spreading cloud of red could be seen at the point of impact, indicating that the blood was still flowing underneath.

"I'm impressed," Gajeel said after he had created some distance. "I thought you might've moved after seeing that."

"I won't dishonor my master by going back on my word." Lupak brought his hands up into a martial arts stance. "However, now that you've found a way around my armor, don't expect any more freebies."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." As Gajeel lowered his stance, his other arm also changed into a pickaxe. "It's time to end this."

"Yes, let's." Lupak dug his foot into the ground and charged forward like a bull, moving with such force that the grass flew out of the ground in his wake. Gajeel swung both pickaxes from the right and put 2 deeps in Lupak's side, but it wasn't enough to stop him. A clothesline slammed the mage into the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of him.

The man of diamond knelt over Gajeel, preparing to strike, but Gajeel struck him in the shoulder with his pickaxe. However, Gajeel didn't come away unscathed, as the tip broke off of his weapon. Grunting through the pain, Gajeel kicked him away and jumped back to his feet.

From then on, the 2 men exchanged blows back and forth, and the gruesome sight of blood flying off the 2 men's bodies caused Levy to turn away in fright. Their armor allowed them to keep fighting through attacks that would bring most to their knees, but that strength could only last so long.

"Yer body ain't as hard as it was earlier," Gajeel commented. He ducked a wide blow and then quickly reengaged, but instead of taking a swing of his own, he leaned in and sank his teeth into Lupak's left shoulder.

"AAAARGH!" He screamed as Gajeel tore off and spat out a chunk of diamond laced flesh. The armor once again closed around this, the way that it had previously with his other wounds. However, in this instance, the red spat was much darker and spread to cover his neck and upper body in seconds.

Gajeel wiped both his and his opponent's blood off the side of his mouth. "Disgusting. I'm never doing that again."

"I…I…" Lupak's mouth was agape, unable to process the wound he'd just received. His diamond body slowly receded, revealing the bloodied body beneath. Countless inhuman scars decorated his bare body, layered one on top of another on top of another.

Blood continued to slowly flow as he sank to his knees. "What a hideous way to lose." As he spoke those words, his eyes closed as he fell over.

Malkeus clapped from the Yellow Hourglass side of the field. "It was a terrific match that could have gone either way, but Lupak succumbed to blood loss, so our winner is Gajeel Redfox of Fairy Tail."

Suddenly Lupak's unconscious body disappeared, seeming to fall into the ground.

"What happened?" Gray asked. "Is he alright?"

"He will be fine," Malkeus assured. "Our master has brought Lupak back to the guild to be healed. His wounds are quite serious, and if left untreated, he would surely die. Luckily, we have excellent medical facilities within the guild."

"Now then," Malkeus continued, "Round 1 has concluded. Round 2 shall now commence, and I believe it is our pick."

* * *

Hello again. Back at it with some more Fairy Tail. But it's a bit bittersweet, because in this chapter, I feel as though I've almost made Fairy Tail out to be the bad guys. I had Gajeel do some things that he probably would never do, especially in a casual no-risk environment like this tournament. But, my more grim, violent writing style leaked out a bit here, which I almost can't help doing, and I'm overall happy with the results, so I guess it's okay.

When I was trying to come up with what Lupak said to Gajeel, most of my ideas came out as crappy disses. For example: "Tough words from a man with a cat for a best friend." "It's a shame you didn't go extinct with the rest of the dragons." "They'll still look better than the trash you're wearing." "I doubt it. Maybe you should get Natsu over here to do it for you."

I will be doing 1 round per chapter with this tournament (at least that's the plan), but don't expect them all to be this long. Also, I'm writing something concurrently with this, and it's kind of big, so that will increase the wait time between chapters, but not horribly so, I hope. I hope to get it out all at once around the time this ends, so look forward to it.

I hope you all enjoyed, and until next time, take care.  
-Piercer_of_Shadows


	5. Chapter 5

The Yellow Hourglass Chapter 5

Kory ran at full speed towards Malkeus, stopping on a dime right in front of him. "MALKEUSPRETTYPLEASECANIGONEXTIPROMISEILLNEVERASKFORANYTHINGAGAINCMONPLEASEIMASKINGNICELYPLEPLEPLEPLEPLEEEEEEEEASE-"

"Woah, calm down." Malkeus put his arms on Kory's shoulders to stop the manic twitching. "I don't think that's such a good idea. They said they were gonna send out Natsu, and that's a bad matchup for you."

"I know it's Natsu!" Kory exclaimed, a shine in his eyes. "That's why I wanna go!"

"Sorry, but I'm gonna have to say-" he began to say, but Kory cut him off, talking a million miles an hour, without even taking a breath.

"lemmedoitlemmedoitlemmedoitlemmedoitlemmedoitlem-"

A vein bulged on Malkeus' forehead, as he pulled his right leg back. Kory let out a frightened yelp as he was kicked on the rear, sending him flying out into the field. "We begrudgingly pick Kory as our next fighter."

As Kory was rubbing his aching backside, Natsu stepped out onto the field, a flaming aura oozing out of him. "Alright, I finally get to fight. I'm all fired up!"

"Natsu, wait!" He turned to see a battered and beaten Gajeel looking in his direction. His face was covered in large black & blue lumps, and blood oozed from wounds all over his body. What was in the worst condition, however, were his hands. From the impact of repeatedly hitting Lupak's diamond body, several of his fingers were bent at odd angles, and blood streamed from his knuckles.

"What's up, Gajeel?"

"These guys are really strong. Probably stronger than those guys from Saber Tooth. He may just be a kid, but if he's anything like that other guy, you can't underestimate him."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, buddy." Natsu turned back to his opponent and strode forward.

Meanwhile, Kory was shaking with excitement. "Oh my god, it's really him. Oh my god, oh my god."

Natsu stopped a few meters from him, oblivious to his odd behavior. "Nice to meetcha. I'm-"

"NATSU DRAGNEEL OF FAIRY TAIL! Oh my god, I'm your biggest fan."

"Oh-kay…" Clearly confused, Natsu scratched his head. "And who are you."

Kory squealed like a school girl before muttering to himself. "He asked me my name. So awesome." Raising his voice, he continued. "I'm Kory Feit, newest member of The Yellow Hourglass Guild."

"Well Kory, let's have a good fight. Come at me with everything you've got."

"Right!"

Letting out a sigh as he looked at the contenders, Malkeus announced the next match. "The second match will be between Kory Feit and Natsu Dragneel! You may now begin!"

Natsu immediately lunged forward, bringing his fist back. "Here I come! Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" A magic circle appeared in front of his hands as they caught fire. His flaming fist sliced through the air, but Kory ducked under and behind him.

"Magic taught by a dragon, so cool!"

"Hey, don't run away. I've been waiting for this fer awhile now."

"Then let me show you my magic." Kory took a stance and a flaming aura surrounded him, scorching the Earth around his feet as he powered up. "Fire Dragon's…", he began, as he brought his own arm back in a wide arc.

Natsu's eyes went wide. "No way, you use Fire Dragon Slayer Magic too?"

From the sidelines, Gray was equally shocked. "I guess that outfit isn't for nothing if he can use the same magic as Natsu."

The fury of his aura reached a climax as he swung his arm at Natsu. "… Lava Flow!" A swirl of molten magma sailed through the air at Natsu, but Natsu jumped high into the air to avoid.

"Hey, that's not fire," he complained from above, "that's lava."

Gray shrugged. "Never mind, I guess his magic is as discount as his costume."

Landing safely away from the rapidly cooling and hardening magma, Natsu pointed at Kory accusingly. "Hey kid! Whaddya mean Fire Dragon?! That's nothin like my magic!"

"I can't help it," Kory returned, a gleam in his eye. "You're my idol, and I wanna be just like you."

Natsu's eye twitched a moment, but he quickly shook off the hesitation. "Cut the crap, Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu brought his hand to his mouth as if he was blowing a horn and inhaled, inflating his cheeks. When he exhaled, a flame billowed out from his hand like a flame thrower.

"Ah crap." Glowing red fluid leaked from his hands as he raised both over his head. "Fire Dragon's Lava Wall!" He brought his hands down, leaving a trail of lava in their wake. It hung suspended in air for a moment before hardening into a sturdy wall. Then, without skipping a beat, he turned and ran like the wind.

The projectile of flame slammed into the obstruction and shattered it to pieces. However, it was slowed enough that Kory was able to get away unscathed. The resulting impact kicked up a mountain of smoke, covering the battlefield.

Natsu looked around, unable to find his small opponent through the dust cloud. "Fire Dragon's Lava Splash!" A glob of lava the size of a basketball came from behind, and Natsu barely had enough time to turn and put his hands up to block it.

As the lava came into contact with his skin, Natsu, who had been expecting pain, felt only a gentle heat. "Hey kid, what's wrong with your magic? It doesn't hurt at all."

The smoke dissipated, revealing Kory's smiling face. "Look again."

Natsu looked down to see his arms encased to the elbows in a solid mass of rock. "What the hell, I can't move." He attempted to pull his arms out, but found himself unable. "Hey, let me out!"

Kory did a celebratory dance before ending in a small jump. "Yeah, I got 'im." Kory suddenly became serious, pointing at Natsu. "Get ready, because here I – Woah!"

He had just barely been able to avoid Natsu swinging his boulder encased hands at him. "GET THIS THING OFFA ME!"

"NEVER!" Kory raised his fist, and stepped in to engage in close quarters. He slammed both hands into Natsu's stomach, causing him to flinch, but it seemed to be largely ineffective. However, during that momentary distraction, the boy ducked down and swept Natsu off of his feet. With the fire dragon slayer lying on his back, his copycat brought his elbow down on his abdomen, this time seeming to be more effective. Satisfied with the exchange, and not willing to press his luck, Kory leapt back away while Natsu got to his feet.

"I got him, I got him!" The boy did a quick celebratory spin, which caused his wig to become lopsided. After re-settling the hairpiece on his head, he gestured to Malkeus. "See, nothing to be worried about."

Malkeus just buried his face in his hand, pointing towards the enemy with the other one. Kory turned and saw Natsu, practically shaking in anger. "I said… TAKE THIS OFF!" As he said that, an enormous pillar of flame surrounded him and reached far into the heavens, causing Kory to jump.

The rock around his hands began to glow hot red, and Natsu put all his strength into pulling his arms apart. Suddenly the rock began to crack, and it shattered, sending the red-hot pieces of rock flying out in different directions, starting several small fires in the meadow. As the fire surrounding Natsu dissipated, he opened and closed his hands experimentally, before turning to the boy. "Now it's my turn, kid."

Kory turned pale for a moment, but took up a stance nonetheless. "Not a problem, I got you once, and I'll keep going until you go down."

In an instant, Natsu was upon him, and as Kory, wide-eyed, tried to react, the fire dragon slayer brought his fist down on his head like a judge banging a gavel.

The wig fell off of his head, revealing a black buzz cut, and Kory went out like a light. Meanwhile, Malkeus shook his head at the sight, while the sleepy-headed Garick had opened an eye, then sighed before closing it again.

As Natsu turned to go back to the Fairy's side, he put both hands behind his head. "Man, after that first match, I was really hoping to get a strong guy."

"He may not have been that strong," Erza rebutted, "but he seemed to have a pretty good strategy going in."

Natsu thoughtful looked off for a moment, before shrugging. "I guess. The rock thing was pretty annoying."

Kory suddenly sat up, looking around confused, before realizing what happened. "I lost."

"Sure, you lost kid, but that's to be expected." Gray stepped forward, regarding the child. "You're strong for your age, but Natsu's an absolute monster. You didn't stand a chance."

"But the way he beat me…" Tears started to form in his eyes. "It was like I was nothing. I wasn't even worth the effort to him. It's so humiliating."

"Then get stronger." Gray extended his arm to help the boy up. "Train hard, learn all you can and do all the missions you can. Then, you can come find him someday and show him you're worth it."

Kory lay still a moment, then the tears started coming down in earnest. However, he wiped them away and grabbed Gray's hand. 

Author's Note: This fight wasn't as long as the previous, but I feel as though it was better choreographed. It certainly went through quite the evolution between my first draft, on pen iand paper, to the final, and I'm quite satisfied with the result. As always, if you enjoyed it, or if there are any things you feel could, or should, have been done better let me know. I'll see ya'll in the next one.

-Piercer_of_Shadows


End file.
